18 acres of Cape Elizabeth woodland proposed for condos, apartments

CAPE ELIZABETH — The Planning Board has scheduled a Feb. 27 public hearing to discuss a 46-unit subdivision off Spurwink Avenue.

The board on Tuesday held a first review of the proposed project and unanimously determined that the application is complete. The development, called Maxwell Woods, will be at 112-114 Spurwink Ave.

The subdivision proposal includes 38 condominiums and two, four-unit apartment buildings. The applicant, Joel Fitzpatrick, is also developing the abutting Cottage Brook condominium subdivision and was the developer of Eastman Meadows.

According to project manager Owens McCullough, of Sebago Technics, Fitzpatrick purchased the 17 1/2 acre parcel from the Maxwell family, who own nearby Maxwell’s Farm. McCullough did not disclose the price of the property.

The plan proposes keeping almost 8 1/2 acres of the land as open space. The land is currently undeveloped and is mostly wooded. The subdivision would have public access to the town’s trail system.

At the meeting Tuesday night, about a dozen members of the public shared concerns about the project, despite Chairwoman Carol Anne Jordan saying comments needed to be limited to remarks about the completeness of the application.

Residents said they take issue with the traffic the development would create, the loss of trees and the corresponding change of scenery from their homes, as well as the project time-line. Timing wasn’t discussed Tuesday night, but the application states construction is expected to begin in the spring.

According to McCullough, the condos and apartment units will be marketed to people age 55 and over. The condos will be priced at $350,000-$450,000, and four of the condos will be “moderate affordable units.”

The subdivision includes the construction of a 0.18-mile “looped access drive” and a sidewalk system.

The Planning Board will hold a site walk at the proposed location on Jan. 21 at 8 a.m. The Feb. 27 public hearing will be for preliminary approval, and Fitzpatrick and McCollough would have to come back at a later meeting for final approval.

I'm a reporter for The Forecaster covering Freeport, Yarmouth, Chebeague Island, and Cape Elizabeth. I'm from a small town in NH no one's ever heard of. When not reporting, I can be found eating pasta and reading books, often at the same time.